La Caída del Cacique de Petatlán

Llegó al fin de su reino de terror

Formalizan la aprehensión de Rogaciano Alba por delincuencia organizada y narcotráfico

El Sur de Acapulco - el 05 de Mayo del 2010

Zacarías Cervantes - Chilpancingo

El Juez Tercero de Distrito en Materia de Procesos Penales Federales con sede en el estado de México libró orden de aprehensión formal en contra de Rogaciano Alba Álvarez, conocido con los alias de “El Roga”, “El Viejo”, “El Viejón” o “El Señor del Sombrero”, luego de que estuvo arraigado desde el 11 de febrero, cuando fue detenido por elementos de la Policía Federal en la carretera Chapala-Guadalajara, estado de Jalisco.

El ex presidente de la Unión Regional Ganadera del estado y ex presidente municipal priísta de Petatlán, región de la Costa Grande, donde mantuvo su feudo de poder caciquil en los últimos 20 años, fue acusado de los delitos de delincuencia organizada, contra la salud en la modalidad de posesión con fines de comercio del psicotrópico denominado metanfetamina y portación de arma de fuego de uso exclusivo del Ejército, Armada y Fuerza Aérea.

El juez resolvió librar la orden de aprehensión como consecuencia de la acción penal emprendida por el Fiscal de la Unidad Especializada en Investigación de Delitos Contra la Salud de la Subprocuraduría de Investigación Especializada en Delincuencia Organizada (SIEDO). Alba Álvarez fue detenido por elementos de la Policía Federal el 11 de febrero cuando circulaba en una camioneta Suburban de procedencia extranjera modelo 2010, sin placas de circulación, sobre la carretera Chapala-Guadalajara.

Al momento de su detención, Rogaciano Alba portaba un rifle AR-15 y aproximadamente un kilo de droga denominada “ice” o “hielo”. La Procuraduría General de la República (PGR), al informar ayer de la orden de aprehensión que libró el juez en su contra, agregó que Rogaciano Alba Álvarez está identificado como presunto miembro de la organización criminal denominada La Familia “y se cuenta con indicios de que antes de colaborar con dicho grupo delictivo también trabajó para el Cártel de Sinaloa, donde su actividad consistía en el tráfico de drogas”, señala un informe de la dependencia federal.

La PGR informó, asimismo, que en cumplimiento del mandamiento judicial, Alba Alvarez fue internado en el Centro Federal de Readaptación Social número 1, el penal de máxima seguridad del Altiplano, ubicado en el estado de México.

Perfil de El Roga

Rogaciano Alba Álvarez, de 55 años de edad, es oriundo de Chaveta, una comunidad del municipio de Petatlán, desde donde no sólo amasó poder y fortuna en las últimas dos décadas, principalmente a partir del sexenio del ex gobernador del PRI Rubén Figueroa Alcocer, quien lo hizo alcalde de su municipio, sino también se hizo de una fama de hombre temerario, a quien habitantes de comunidades de su municipio atribuyen decenas de asesinatos, entre ellas la de la abogada Digna Ochoa Plácido.

En la ficha técnica de la Policía Federal, que lo detuvo, también se le ubica como el principal responsable de las actividades del narcotráfico y tala clandestina en Guerrero.

Tras su captura, en febrero pasado, Alba Álvarez señaló que en la década de los setenta, a la edad de 15 años, se trasladó al estado de California, Estados Unidos, donde se dedicó a actividades relacionadas con el campo.

Allá permaneció cuatro años y a la edad de 19 regresó a Petatlán, para dedicarse a la compra de ganado y marihuana, según se señala en su historial delictivo elaborado con sus propias declaraciones.

La Policía Federal también logró conocer que el ex dirigente ganadero de Guerrero “almacenaba marihuana en grandes cantidades para posteriormente entregarla a un sujeto de apellidos Mercedes Monje, presunto narcotraficante originario de la comunidad de Murga, municipio de Petatlán”. A principio de los años noventa asumió el control de la Asociación Ganadera de Petatlán, la cual le sirvió de plataforma para posteriormente asumir el liderazgo de esa asociación en todo el estado.

Fue presidente municipal de Petatlán de 1993 a 1996. En esta etapa se hizo acompañar de numerosos escoltas que portaban armas de uso exclusivo del Ejército.

Rogaciano Alba dijo en su declaración ministerial que estableció nexos con el Cártel de Sinaloa, llegando a consolidar una cercana relación personal con los principales líderes de ese grupo, como Ismael Zambada alias “El Mayo Zambada”, y Arturo Beltrán Leyva, alias “El Barbas”, con quien trabajó durante muchos años, convirtiéndose en su principal operador para el trasiego de goma de opio, marihuana y cocaína en la región de la Costa Grande.

La Policía Federal informó que al existir una ruptura entre los líderes del Cártel de Sinaloa, tras la captura de Alfredo Beltrán Leyva el 21 de enero de 2008, Rogaciano Alba decidió quedarse del lado de Ismael Zambada García y Joaquín Guzmán Loera.

Asimismo, reportes de inteligencia señalan que en el año 2008, el detenido se reunió con Arturo Beltrán Leyva en Zihuatanejo, quien le ofreció el control del tráfico de droga en el estado de Guerrero. Alba Álvarez se rehusó a dicha oferta, lo que motivó un enfrentamiento y dio origen a un sinfín de hechos violentos.

Asimismo, el 3 de mayo de 2008 en Iguala, decenas de sicarios fuertemente armados tomaron por asalto el hotel donde se celebraba una reunión de ganaderos, liderada por Alba Álvarez, agresión de la que salió ileso pero siete de sus colaboradores perdieron la vida.

Al día siguiente un comando armado abrió fuego contra la casa de Alba Álvarez en Petatlán, dando muerte a sus hijos Alejandro y Roosvelt Alba de la Cruz. En su huida, los presuntos sicarios se llevaron también a su hija Ana Karen Alba de la Cruz, de quien hasta el momento se desconoce su paradero.

Después del ataque contra su familia, El Roga buscó refugio en el estado de Jalisco, bajo el cobijo de El Chapo Guzmán, El Mayo Zambada y Nacho Coronel, según habría declarado él mismo a las autoridades policiacas.

Aquí en Guerrero, la dirección del Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo Insurgente (ERPI) denunció que Alba Alvarez era protegido por el propio Ejército Mexicano y que vivía protegido en el mismo cuartel militar ubicado en Petatlán.

De parte del gobernador Zeferino Torreblanca siempre hubo deferencia para Rogaciano Alba, y no obstante que a raíz de los atentados que Alba Alvarez sufrió en Iguala y en su casa de Petatlán, y de que el Ejército y la PGR lo ubicó como uno de los operadores del cártel del Chapo Guzmán en Guerrero, el gobernador siempre respondió a los reporteros que aquí no tenía ninguna denuncia en su contra y que todos son inocentes hasta que se demuestra lo contrario.

A Rogaciano Alba se le acusa directamente de al menos tres muertes de hombres que presuntamente estaban relacionados con la muerte de su hermano René hace nueve años.

El primero fue Salvador Cortés González, muerto en la comunidad de El Nogal el 19 de febrero del 2000, hecho en el que, según denuncian campesinos, participaron militares del 40 Batallón de Infantería con sede en Ciudad Altamirano.

El segundo, Valentín Yánez Torres, torturado y quemado vivo en el poblado de Rancho Nuevo el 23 de marzo del 2000.

Asimismo, se le acusa de la muerte de Meregildo Torres, quien cayó el 14 de agosto de 2002.

Después de la emboscada en la que murió su hermano René Alba, además de los tres asesinatos mencionados, ocurrieron otros 15 crímenes más que la gente de la región le atribuye a Rogaciano, entre ellos los de Gustavo Zárate Martínez y Nicolás Martínez, El Cuarterón, a quienes se mencionó como probables asesinos materiales de Digna Ochoa.

A finales de los ochenta otro hermano de Rogaciano, Juventino, murió acribillado por soldados. Según la versión que se maneja en el municipio, Juventino bajaba de la sierra en una camioneta “cargada de marihuana” cuando un piquete de militares le ordenó que se detuviera. Él no obedeció y le dispararon. En ese hecho murieron con él otras cinco personas.

Organizaciones ambientalistas, activistas de derechos humanos y dirigentes de organizaciones sociales lo responsabilizan también del asesinato de la abogada Digna Ochoa Plácido; sin embargo, a pesar de que fueron presentadas denuncias directas en su contra —como la del campesino ecologista de la comunidad de La Morena, municipio de Petatlán, Javier Torres Cruz, uno de los perseguidos por Alba Alvarez—, se desconoce el resultado que tuvieron.

A Less Ethnocentric View of Violence in Mexico

Some folks accuse those of us who reside in Mexico of "being in denial" or "playing down" the recent US media reports of violence. It is not those of us who live here who are in denial of any violence but rather some folks who don't live here who don't understand the nature of everyday life in Mexico. Not just now but as it has been for centuries, and especially here in the state of Guerrero.

While we certainly are a violent country and have been further back than history records, that is simply in keeping with human nature. Mexico in general and Zihuatanejo in particular are no more violent now than they have been for decades, the recently reported deaths of narcos and police notwithstanding. No one minds narcos killing each other off, and many police are also on their payroll, so most folks aren't too alarmed when narco violence affects them.

Many folks from so-called "first-world" countries appear to have been successfully acculturated into believing the society they live in is some kind of "normal order" or "best way of life". What that shows is that they are basically ignoring everyday life in MOST of the rest of the world. We have our problems in Mexico, for sure, but we feel very fortunate in comparison to the sickness and depravation that manifests itself in so many other countries and regions and cultures. We haven't had the frequency or type of really sick crimes that seem to have become commonplace in some more modern industrialized "first-world" cultures. I'm sure somewhere in Mexico we've had a school shooting, but I can't recall it. While in the USA I've lost track of the school shootings, the Ted Bundy's, the John Wayne Gacy's, Son of Sam's, the shooting rampages, the homegrown terrorists, etc. The world has always been a violent place, and humans have always been one of the most extremely and irrationally violent animals. But to us here in Mexico and to many other folks around the world the USA seems to be much more dangerously violent than Mexico. Of course someone will respond "then why is everyone trying so hard to get into the USA?", which is an ethnocentric if not egocentric question. Not everyone is. And the question simply ignores the problem by attempting to dismiss it.

In Mexico the police and military and population at large outnumber the narcos immensely. There isn't ANY way we're going to allow them to cause our government to fall, as has been suggested in some hyped up media reports. What the narcos have done that perhaps we should be thankful for is to demonstrate the urgency in professionalizing and modernizing our police forces, as well as purging them and our government agencies of corrupt elements: a process in which we currently find ourselves and in which substantial progress has been made. Obviously we still have much more work to do in this regard.

We urgently need to purge the criminal elements from our police forces because for as long as most folks can remember too many of our police have been perceived to be criminals with badges, so if there's a lot of killing between police and narcos and corrupt politicians we really aren't too alarmed. We figure the number of bad guys is being reduced. It'll be a while before the police forces earn the trust and confidence of most Mexicans.

The only reason folks abroad are hearing about all this violence now is because the US media has been using fear to sell its "products". And with the economic crisis it is certainly in US interests to keep US tourists spending their money within the US economy.

Apparently many US folks are missing the glaring fact that US "illegal drugs" sales create a multi-billion dollar market with its associated mafias (remember the lessons of Prohibition) that arms itself with weapons also mainly manufactured and sold from the USA. So there is this gigantic incentive to keep those "drugs" illegal because it's good for the military-industrial complex, it's good for police and military budgets, and it's good for various other bureaucratic budgets. It's also good for illegal enrichment by corrupt public servants, and the funding of all kinds of "special interests" from investment development to running black ops to running small governments. It is no accident or coincidence that poppy production increased in Afghanistan after the US and "Coalition" invasion.

The violence in Mexico as reported by the US media has not affected our everyday lives. We have long lived with the spectre of violent crime, sometimes perpetrated by government forces as well as organized criminals, and we have long been accustomed to taking certain precautions to stay safe. Nothing has changed in that regard in recent years, though we are comforted to a certain degree by the increased military presence: something we have been clamoring for for many years.

A No Brainer
Obviously the lessons of Prohibition dictate that Mexico and the USA need to legalize or decriminalize certain "recreational drugs" in order to reduce the violence and diminish the power of organized criminals. If legalization or decriminalization doesn't happen then it will mean the pharmaceutical companies, alcohol companies, and military-industrialists win along with the corrupt public servants on both sides of the border.

It's a no brainer... unless you're brainwashed.

There isn't one person who wants to do "recreational drugs" who is prevented from doing so by laws or "the war on drugs". There is, however, a considerable profit motive for the special interests mentioned above by keeping up the stupid war. And perhaps the best part for them is the more drugs they bust, the more the prices for those drugs go up, the more crimes are committed by junkies and lowlifes to get their drugs, and they cause the very crimes they claim to be combatting, feeding the monster of their own creation, getting more budgets, more kickbacks, and more payoffs.

What gives anyone the right to tell anyone else what they can or can't do with their bodies as long as they don't violate anyone else's rights? Is not the USA a nation based on the concept of personal liberty? What's up with that?

Mexicans who provide what the market demands are entrepreneurs. It's a multi-billion dollar a year market that is stupid for a country with so much poverty as Mexico to simply overlook and pass up on. Narco money has allowed many forgotten and impoverished regions of Mexico and other Latin American countries to prosper. Heck, it's done a lot of good in the good ol' US of A, too where it's helped families who deal a little dope on the side to make ends meet and put food on the table and put kids through college! It's time to take this lemon and make lemonade.

Navy Attacked by Gunmen in Ixtapa

While watching the last minutes of LOST at my mother's home in normally peaceful Ixtapa last night, our attention was quickly drawn to what sounded like gunfire somewhere not too far off in the neighborhood below us. For about 15 or 20 minutes we listened to hundreds of rounds of gunfire from automatic weapons interspersed with what also sounded like handguns and a shotgun, and culminating in what sounded like a tiro de gracia at the end. Since we couldn't see where the firefight was taking place, we could only guess that it was coming from somewhere near the residential section of Golondrinas near the intersection with Pelícanos. So many rounds were fired that we feared a stray bullet, so we kept our heads down and tried to stay out of any possible line of fire. We were somewhat surprised not to hear any sirens for what seemed like a long time, but eventually we heard them and saw a couple of police cars drive past on the road below us. My wife and I had to call a taxi to get to our home in Zihuatanejo, and we were concerned they might not come due to the apparent danger. Fortunately APAAZ sent us a taxi, and it just happened to be one who had tried to drive by the scene of the crime to see if the white vehicle reported in CB radio broadcasts was a taxi, but he was waved off by police who had closed the road. He said he saw one body in the road, and during our ride back to Zihuatanejo we listened to quite a bit of radio chatter about the shootout. However, we were quite surprised and disappointed that no roadblock had been set up between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. With the morning news I found out that the firefight was apparently between narcos and members of the Armada de México when gunmen allegedly ambushed the Comandante del Apostadero Naval de Zihuatanejo as he was driving past the water treatment plant in Ixtapa on Paseo de los Viveros. According to newspaper reports, one marino was killed at the scene and two others injured as they attempted to repel the attack. The attackers allegedly carried off their dead and/or wounded, fleeing the scene in their vehicles. As far as I know they were not apprehended. Also this morning several helicopters of the Sector Naval have been busy circling over Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa since about 9 o'clock, giving the feeling of being in a war zone. With the ambush and murder of 5 members of the Ejército de México last week in Carácuaro, Michoacán and this latest ambush of members of the Armada de México in Ixtapa it appears clear that the narcos have declared war on Mexico's military, something that has never happened in Mexico's history. They have certainly stirred up a hornets' nest, since by directly attacking Mexico's armed forces they have assured that the military will mount a relentless campaign against them to hunt them down and kill or capture the aggressors. The local population has long been calling for the military to take over from the police, who are not trusted, prepared or trained to take on narcos or organized crime. Unfortunately, the governor has been trying to restrict the role of he military in Guerrero so as not to frighten tourists, several who have been injured in attacks over the past two years. Now even the PRI and the PRD at the national level are calling for Presidente Calderón to send the military back to their barracks, against all logic. This only raises suspicions as to the lawmakers' own involvement in narcotrafficking and organized crime, since it is widely known that most police forces at all levels are infiltrated and corrupted by narcos and criminals. If a war is to be waged against organized crime only the military is currently capable of waging it. Yet it begs the question: Even if the military wins, what will be left of Mexico after such a war? Currently in many communities across the country the narcos provide important income, community works and even social assistance where the government has long been failing. Farmers who would otherwise have to leave their lands to seek work either in the cities or across our northern border are currently able to survive and maintain their families only with the money their illegal crops bring. More and more it appears that the only way to put an end to the bloodshed, the corruption and the crime associated with the narco trade, and to save the billions in pesos spent by the government on an unwinnable war, is to legalize and regulate "recreational" drugs as well as to distinguish between truly hard drugs and those less harmful. The money saved as well as the money generated by such measures could be much better put to use educating our youth against drug use as well as rehabilitating drug addicts and making them productive members of our society instead of filling up jails with people who commit victimless crimes. Such a measure would also go a long way towards reducing corruption in the public sector and keeping citizens who are going to use drugs anyway safe from having to deal with underworld criminal elements.